Remarks on the most Important Plant-Societies of the Island. 



253 



Ornithogaliim chionophilum 



Hyacinthuf'- nivalis 



Muscari commum 



Crocus cyprius 



Telephitim Impercdi subsp. orientale 



Alsine hreins 



A. tenuifolia subsp. Kotscki/ana 



Cerastiiim fragilUmum 



Silene venosa 



Ranunculus cadniicus 



Berberis cretica 



Corydalis rutaefolia 



Alyssum Troodi 



Thlaspi violascens 



Rosa canina subsp. dunialis 



Cotoneaster Nummidaria 



Sorlms Aria subsp. cretica 



Astragalus Echinus 



Viola parvula 



V. Hddreichiana 



Hypericum cortfertum subsp. stcnohotrys 



Myosotis pusilla 



M. stricta 



Lithospermum incrassatum 



Paracaryum myosotoides 



Onosma Troodi 



Teucrium cyprium 



Nepeta Troodi 



Satureia Troodi 



S. exigua var. integri folia 



Veronica ixodes 



A7ithemis tricolor var. arteniisioides 



Scorzonera troodea 



Lactuca hispida subsp. CandoUeanu 



C. Xeroptiile Plant=Societies. 



By far the greater part of the surface of the island is, under the present climatic conditions, 

 occupied by "xerophile'' plant-societies. This desigiiation is applied by VVakming to a number of strongly 

 ditiering plant-societies, all in possession of the common feature that their principal species are protected 

 against desiccation by some anatomical arrangement. In a country so poorly watered and with such a 

 burning sun as Cyprus, plants that lack special means of protection against an intense evaporation can 

 survive only in those scarce and restricted localities, where the soil is tolerably damp. Such localities are 

 practically limited to the bottom of the valleys and othei' depressions formed by the landscape. I'he hilly 

 ridges, mountain-sides, and slopes, and the greater part of the extensive lowland plains (excepting the 

 cultivated portion of the latter) are chiefly held by more or less distinctly xerophile plant-societies. 



We will now proceed to examine the principal ones. Of reasons stated above (p. 205) we siiall 

 have to limit our description to a few of the leading types of this vegetation. The following presents 

 itself as a natural survey: 



1. Psanunophile plant-societies. 



2. Rock-vegetation. 



3. Steppe-societies. 



4. Xerophile shrub-societies. 



5. Forest-societies. 



1. Psammophile Plant-Societies. 



In the chapter of this work dealing with the Physical Nature of Cyprus it is already mentioned 

 that in the lowest parts of the island extensive sandy regions occur in several places. Especially along 

 the coasts, and above all near the bays of Morphu and Famagusta as well as near Limassol, these areas 

 are to be found; in the neighbourhood of IJmassol we even find veritable dune-formations. 



In such places the nature of the vegetation is decidedly psammophile. 



Quite as in other countries we have also in Cyprus to distinguish three different zones of vege- 

 tation, one inside the other, where the coasts are sandy. 



